With Jade Regent scheduled to be my first attempt at running a Pathfinder AP, I am curious how the primary NPCs are assumed to figure into the difficult of combat encounters. Is everything designed with the idea that there will always be 8 or so combatants in the party or are the NPCs meant to bow out of combat as a general thing? Or is there some other solution that I simply haven't considered?
Unless I'm completely missing something, I believe the assumption is the PCs are on their own unless the AP specifies otherwise. If they're in trouble or if you think they're going to need help, have an NPC show up at the right time or just accompany them, but the encounters definitely are not designed for a party of 8, particularly when the NPCs are of such a higher level than the PCs. But read closely. I can think of at least one point where an NPC definitely does accompany the PCs.
Creative Director
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The significant NPCs in Jade Regent are there primarily for roleplaying and to provide a constant linked theme through the AP. NOT for fighting.
They can certainly come in to save the PCs or augment the PCs if the GM thinks they could use some help... but the adventures are generally designed with the assumption that the adventures themselves are things the PCs go on... at least, until the PCs start outstripping the NPC levels.
In any case, as Rob said on another thread, each adventure will talk about how they develop and what roles they can and should play.
keeping the fire burning, playing the banjo in the night and hunting the bbq meats ;)
Oh and on the roleplaying aspect, theres something of a lack of magic for travel.
Yes the portable fire. But wheres the rest? Wagonfurlining of warmth? guarding fire (alarm+magic missile/fire ball) vs various wandering wolves etc. Or neverending peppershaker and a box of replenishing steaks. Or a watchmans cloak +10 perception, warm (cold 10) and 1 alarm/day + darkvision cost 15000gp :p Oh and a tent of holding. Or just everburning tar logs -warmth and +1 morale vs fear from nice smell. And how can anyone forget a cask of neverending mead!
I'm anticipating allot will depend on circumstances and how the PC-NPC relationship scores are doing, and where the PCs are in regards to the storyline. On the road, they'll certainly be around helping defending the caravan, though the caravan rules are generic enough that their input there won't have much impact (unless your following the suggestions made elsewhere on these same forums of "Boss fights," at which point it's up to you if they're with the PCs helping out or -more likely- elsewhere defending other parts of the caravan). Looking at the first adventure...
For the rest, we shall see. I've always been a fan of having supporting npcs in the wings, so an AP with several set up as part of the plot was a major draw for me for this one.